Ken Forsch was a California native drafted by Houston in the 18th round of the 1968 Summer Draft. He made his major league debut in 1970 and spent four years as a starter. From 1974 to 1978, he worked almost exclusively from the bullpen and was an All-Star in 1976 as Houston's closer. He finished that season with 19 saves and an impressive 2.15 ERA.

In 1979, Forsch moved back to the starting rotation and made a big splash by no-hitting the Atlanta Braves in his first start of the season. After a hard luck season in 1980 in which he finished 12-13, Forsch was traded to the California Angels for youngster Dickie Thon. During his 11 seasons with Houston, Forsch pitched in 421 games for the second-highest total in franchise history, compiling a 78-81 record with 50 saves and a 3.18 ERA.